Local NGOs Join Forces with FAO for Sustainable Forest Management in Liberia

Monrovia - On 27 September 2023, FAO signed Letters of Agreement (LOAs) with three local Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) who will collaborate with FAO to implement, for a ten-month period, key components of the Community-based Forest and Protected Area Management (CbFM) Joint Program in Liberia .

The CbFM programme is a four-year (2022–2026) project, funded by the Government of Sweden through the UN Joint Program framework, and implemented by FAO and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) of Libera being the key Government implementing Partner.

The three NGOs – the Sustainable Development Institute (SDI), The Nature Compact (TNC), and Foundation for Community Initiative (FCI) – under the LOAs, will support the establishment and management of designated Community Forests in ten communities to go through the nine-step process to become Authorized Forest Communities, which will be led, managed, and owned by the local people as the stewards of the natural resources. The activities will focus on strengthening forest governance systems, increasing knowledge of the values of conserving biodiversity, and improving capacity to support the sustainable management of community forests in the northwest and southeast landscapes in Liberia.

“The long-term goal is to contribute to reducing climate change effects through improved sustainable livelihood, conservation, and forest restoration, all in a gender–responsive manner which significantly contributes to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Biodiversity,” said Bintia Stephen Tchicaya, FAO Representative a.i. in Liberia. She welcomed the new implementing partner NGOs to be a part of the team to work together towards the common goal and assured them of the technical support available at FAO whenever needed.

“What happens at the community level is of paramount importance to us,” said Mr Jenkins S. Flahwor, Program Officer, Environment, Climate Change, and Natural Resources at the Embassy of Sweden to Liberia. Emphasizing the ownership of the national actors in the solution and the sustainability of the intervention, he expressed his confidence in the investment in this program, which would “stimulate significant changes at the community level.”

“Community is the core of what we do,” stressed Mr Joseph Duolupeh, Strategic Planning Manager pf FDA. He stated FDA’s commitment to continue making positive effects through the interventions in collaboration with partners.

Local NGO partners also showed enthusiasm for the collaboration under this project and assured that the program would be very successful for the benefit of the people the team serves. They also noted that they were keen on sustainability and would ensure women’s representation, participation, and community ownership.

The signing of the LOAs marks the commencement of a collaborative journey towards improved management of Liberia’s forest resources for the benefit of both the people and the planet.

About the Project

The project “Community-based Forestry and Protected Area Management (CbFM): Boosting Biodiversity Conservation and Improving Livelihoods of Forest-Fringe/Forest-Dependent Communities and Groups in Liberia” seeks to strengthen the management of community forests and protected areas in Liberia.

The project promotes forest maintenance, wildlife conservation, and biodiversity through the following livelihood recovery outcomes:

• Diversified livelihoods that can respond to environmental shocks and stresses;
• Increased economic engagement of youth, women, and persons with disabilities; and
• Sustainable utilization of local environment and forest resources to achieve economic and conservation outcomes.